4.
As Adam held his son tightly to him he turned to face Chelsea as they paused outside of Crimson Lights, the music filtering gently through into the evening air.
"Are you sure about this?" Adam asked.
Adjusting the weight of her sleeping daughter Chelsea nodded. "You promised AJ and Mimi hot chocolate and cookies, I can't keep my children hidden away, it's not fair on them."
"Ok," Adam agreed.
"Can have mellows on my chocolate?" AJ asked as they entered the coffee shop.
Chelsea nodded. "Of course, it's not a proper hot chocolate without marshmallows and sprinkles."
"And Amelie?" Adam questioned, referring to his still sleeping daughter.
"She'll have the same," Chelsea replied. "But she's not a massive cookie fan, she does however love those chocolate twist things if they still do them here?"
"And you?" Adam asked.
Sitting down Chelsea adjusted Amelie so that she was sat facing her, one leg either side of her mother's body with her head resting sleepily on her chest. "I'll have the usual."
"Anything to eat?" Adam queried as he let AJ climb down out of his arms.
"I'm good," Chelsea smiled as she watched Adam instinctively take hold of AJ's hand as the pair approached the counter and placed the order.
Sitting down opposite Chelsea Adam helped AJ up onto the chair as the youngster hungrily tucked into his cookie.
"Anyone would think I never feed him," Chelsea laughed.
"Should we wake Amelie up?" Adam wondered as the barista placed the drinks down in front of them.
Chelsea shook her head. "Nah. It's best that we let her sleep."
"It's ok if Mimi doesn't waked up I'll have her chocolate too," AJ offered as he took a bite out of the cream on his drink.
"No," Amelie protested, lifting her head up off of her mother. "It's my drink. Mine."
Chelsea looked at Adam and smiled. "Hey there Sleepy Head."
"Don't let AJ have my chocolate," Amelie yawned.
"Never," Adam laughed as he watched his daughter climb down off of her mother's lap and onto the empty chair, pulling at her bandana.
Reaching over Chelsea adjusted the purple scarf that covered her daughter's bald head so that it now sat neatly. "What do you say to Adam?"
"Thank-you," AJ and Amelie replied in unison.
"Well, well, well look what the cat dragged in," Victor spoke as he and Nikki approached the young family, Victor's eyes glaring into Chelsea.
Standing up Adam stood protectively in front of his family. "Hello Dad."
"Chelsea. I didn't think we'd be seeing you again," Victor said, ignoring Adam and instead turning his attention to his estranged daughter-in-law.
"Not here, not in front of the children," Adam whispered.
Looking behind his son, his eyes darting between the young girl and boy as he took in the children's startling resemblance to his son. "Children?"
"Outside. We'll talk outside," Adam ordered as he led his father and Nikki outside.
"So when did the Con Artist arrive back in town?" Victor asked.
Adam took a deep breath to stop himself from saying something he might regret, when it came to his father he had learnt to play his cards carefully. "I don't see how that's any of your business."
"My family. My business," Victor insisted.
"It's not your family though, it's my family and if you can't say anything nice about the mother of my children then I suggest you don't say anything at all," Adam warned.
Victor looked through the window to where Chelsea sat laughing at the antics of her son and daughter. "Mother of your children? And you're just going to take her word for that are you?"
"I'm warning you," Adam growled. "If you ever want to be a part of their lives you will treat Chelsea with the respect she deserves."
"Please tell me you at least have solid proof that those children are yours before you start opening your wallet?" Victor asked.
Adam looked down at the floor, composing himself before speaking. "I don't need any test to know those children are mine, the minute I looked into their eyes I knew."
"Then you're a bigger idiot than I thought you were," Victor told his son as Nikki watched through the window as Amelie kneeled up on the chair and took a large bite of her pastry, the tube in the young girls nose an obvious sign that all was not well with the small child.
Stepping in front of her husband Nikki addressed her step son. "The little-girl, what's wrong with her?"
"My daughter's health is none of your business," Adam defensively replied, wanting to protect his children from the poison that seemed to eventually find it's way into every part of his life, thank to the Newman name.
"I-"
Taking her husband by the arm Nikki stopped him before he had a chance to dig himself deeper into his son's bad books. "We should get going, Victoria and Johnny will be waiting at The Ranch for us."
"Don't let her play you for the fool Son, not again," Victor warned determined to have the last word.
"The only fool around here is you," Adam muttered under his breath as he watched his father and Nikki walk away, determined that unless the Newman matriarch changed his ways he was never going to let the bitter, old man be a part of his children's lives.
Walking into the coffee shop Adam felt a pair of small arms wrap around him as he approached the table.
"Adam," AJ exclaimed, untangling his arms from around Adam's legs and leading the older man back to the table. "Mimi was worrying that you were going to not come back but I told her you would. You're our friend now and that means you'll always come back. Right?" the youngster asked chocolate eyes wide and hopeful.
"Right," Adam agreed.
Watching as her son interacted with his father Chelsea was desperate for AJ to know who Adam really was, he wanted his son to know that just like she would always be there for him that Adam would too.
"Mama?" Amelie said, scooping her finger around the inside of her mug before licking it clean,
"Yes Baby?" Chelsea breathed, putting down her drink.
Amelia frowned, her bright blue eyes crinkling. "I'm not a baby."
"Sorry," Chelsea apologized.
"But I do need to wee," Amelie added, shifting uncomfortably in her chair.
Standing up Chelsea helped Amelie down off of the chair, taking her by the hand she led her to the toilet leaving Adam and AJ alone at the table.
"Adam I need to wee too," AJ piped up once they were alone at the table.
Thrown by the request Adam suddenly realized that it was the simple things like how much independence to give his children that he would need to learn. "Would you like me to come with you?"
"Do you need to wee too?" AJ questioned.
Adam nodded, realizing that AJ didn't want to go by himself but at the same time his head-strong 3-year-old wasn't willing to admit he wanted help. "You know what Buddy, I think I do," he smiled as walked his son to the toilet, asking the man behind the counter to keep an eye on their table until they came back.
"Toilet break?" Chelsea asked as Adam and AJ arrived back at the table.
Helping AJ back up onto the chair Adam nodded. "Yep."
Drawing Adam's attention to the sleepy young girl in her lap Chelsea looked at her watch. "We really should think about getting them home. It's been a long day."
"Of course," Adam agreed.
"So kids are you ready to go and check out the house?" Chelsea asked her sleepy duo.
AJ and Amelie nodded as her and Adam both picked one of them up and headed out to the car strapping them into their booster seats where they promptly fell asleep, worn out by the excitement of the day.
As they entered the house Chelsea looked around, shocked by how little had changed. "It looks just how I remember it."
"Ever since you left I spend as little time here as possible, the house just doesn't feel the same without you," Adam explained.
"I was thinking the twins and I should sleep in the guest room, we're used to sharing a bed," Chelsea pointed out.
Adam smiled knowingly. "I've got a better idea," he said as he carried AJ upstairs, waiting for Chelsea to follow him with Amelie.
Opening the door next to the bedroom he had shared with Chelsea during their marriage Adam turned on the light, turning on the spot so that he could see her reaction.
"Adam. Wow," Chelsea exclaimed. "When did you have time to arrange this?"
"After I left the motel last night I made a few calls, I wanted AJ and Amelie to feel as welcome as possible," Adam told her as Chelsea stepped into the room, looking around in wonderment at the child-friendly atmosphere he had created.
Looking around Chelsea laid her sleeping daughter down on the white toddler bed, running her hand over the soft purple and pink furnishings that adorned the canopy bed before walking over to the other end of the room where a pine toddler bed sat, decorated in colors that perfectly suited her little man. In less than a day he had managed to create a room that displayed both his children's personalities, one side of it fit for a princess and the other side perfect for her little spitfire.
"This is incredible Adam, they've never had a room like this, even when I still owned the apartment their room was tiny, barely enough room to swing a cat," Chelsea cried.
Laying AJ down on his bed Adam took Chelsea by the hand and led her through a door to the adjoining room which he had decorated for his wife, the colors soft and neutral. "I thought you would want to be close to them."
"Thank-you," Chelsea whispered. "This is more than I could ever had imagined."
"I wanted you and our children to feel at home, I wanted you to know that I was in this for the long haul Chels, you and I were going to make this work because we have AJ and Amelie and they need us to fight for them, to fight for our family," Adam vowed turning to face her he took her hands in his.
Blinking slowly Chelsea let her silent tears fall. "I never stopped loving you Adam. Not for one single minute."